Kia Optima

Despite their growing availability, many people still feel that plug-in hybrids are a waste of resources and money, a sentiment that automakers like Kia are working hard to to amend. Unassuming from head to tail, and stuffed with all manner of “Eco-minded” engineering, the Optima PHEV plays Korean counterpart to Hyundai’s Sonata plug-in, both of which come powered and packaged in a very similar manner.

It’s kind of tough to get people convinced that Kia is making a genuinely good car. However, the 2016 redesign takes the Optima to a level people would not have thought of even just a few years ago.

One could argue that the third-generation Kia Optima is the car that truly reinvigorated the Kia brand back in 2010. Under the watchful eye of design boss Peter Schreyer, the completely redesigned Optima kicked off the brand’s style renaissance, with great looks, and a decidedly more sporty and modern aesthetic than past Kia products.